Crimson Vengeance
by mazohysta
Summary: Two trained killers have very different motives. Meeting up to hunt becomes a habit, but friendship is not an option. Katarinax? VaynexVladimir
1. Intro - A sunny morning

In the dim lights of the city-state of Demacia, on a chilly starless night, a shadow lurked. It stood still, for hours on end, the faint noise of her breath being the only sound to grace the streets. Her chest moving up and down slowly, defying the silence, the stillness, the coldness in the air. A gust of wind swept across the street, then the silence returned, with only her breathing in...and out...

"You are late" she whispered. The figure of another could be barely distinguished behind the corner of another building. "The night is still young..." a faint whisper, almost like it had never even been there, was the only answer. Her body stiffened, as if preparing for a fight. The figure made no move whatsoever, seemingly fading even more into the darkness. "You are never late." "I am now." The smallest glow of metal, almost suspended in the air before the figure, glinted for just a moment then disappeared.

A loud squeak penetrated through the silence, and droplets of blood were spilled on the dirt. The tension faded, as the two relaxed. "A rat", the figure announced from behind the corner, stepping out of the shadows only to reveal a smirking redheaded woman with a scar over her left eye. Her beautiful face was almost unfitting for the coldness of her green eyes. The other woman frowned, clearly unhappy about the mess. The redhead's eyes narrowed, and she started walking down the street towards a large gate, not even turning her head to look at her companion. "So that's how it's gonna be tonight", the first woman thought, as she hurriedly followed, still hiding in the shadows.

* * *

...the morning light found her laying in the clearing of the forest outside Demacia. Her hands on her knives, her head covered by red hair on a rock, mumbling incoherently, she was clearly not welcoming the first rays of sun with joy. A black-haired woman nudged her. "You have to be in Noxus." "You have to be...somewhere..." the redhead mumbled. The other woman looked at her with disgust. "_I could end her life right now_", she thought "_and rid the world of a little violence and hatred_." She smirked, then shook her head. "_This is not the time nor the place, Shauna_." She gathered her belongings: a crossbow, one half-eaten sandwich and a small pillow in a sack. "I'm leaving." she announced. And with that, she went for the forest, her footsteps loud at first, as she was stepping on dry leaves, then fading away in the sounds of the wind through the trees...

The redhead slowly opened her eyes. "T_his has to be one of my most terrible mornings..._" the thought barely had time to race through her head as one quick move brought her to her feet. "Shake it off!" she yelled, trying to wake herself up, but only resulting in more dizziness. "_My sister must be suspicious by now._" This was, indeed, an alarming thought. What would happen if the whole fortress found out she wasn't there? Even worse, that she had spending time in Demacia?

Katarina looked around her. The thick forest had no answer to her questions, even less for the numb pain in her head. She could feel nature live around her without even noticing her presence, but spared no time thinking about it. What was it about nature that made her so unwanted, so unfit to be there? Almost like everything around her was glaring at her, eyeing her every move...

...the path through the forest was hard to remember, and even more difficult to follow during the day. At night, the shadows were her only guides, but with the sun hovering over the top of the trees, she felt exposed. "_In the dark, all is laid bare; that's what...she used to say._" Katarina smirked as she thought this. "_Guess it's true in more than one way_" she pondered, while stepping on some branches. A bird started to chirp nearby, as the leaves rustled below her feet. The sound of the woods echoed in the woman's mind over, and over... and as soon as she allowed herself to stop just for a second to take it all in, she felt a tingle in her fingertips. She felt a cold shiver, and widened her eyes. Sure enough, in half of a second, the lust for blood was back, the noxian inside her had awoken. "Time to taste the venom." she whispered through her teeth, as she grudgingly made her way out of the forest.

* * *

So, there she was. Back to her house in the forest. Shadowed by a large stone, the house was built by Shauna herself, not because she needed a house, but because she needed a shelter. A home. She would never admit this, though. The small cabin was imperfect, logs sticking out from it at odd angles, but this wasn't an issue for Vayne. She had built it all alone, with her own two hands, and this was enough. Actually, it was more than enough, it was perfect. The only object that seemed amiss was the huge mirror. She wasn't sure if she needed one, at first, and even after she bought one halfheartedly (a rather large ornamented one), every time she stared at her own reflection, thoughts raced from simply putting the mirror away (maybe on the other side ofthe Runeterra), to punching it.

Staring at herself seemed too useless. Her tiny frame was rigurously trained everyday, her clothes were fitted with various devices. She had everything needed to be an unseen assasin. But here, in her house, it was different. Her black hair flowing, her glasses off - she had nothing. She was just another woman. "_Just another girl..._" Shauna thought as she slipped into more comfortable clothes, getting ready to sleep for a while. She stepped towards the window to close her makeshift curtains. "_Why does the sun have to shine so bright at noon?_" she wondered, while curling up in the uncomfortable bed, welcoming sleep.

* * *

The fortress on the hill wasn't very welcoming. Painted with only black and grey, it looked rather gloomy. The walls surrounding it were home to dozens of well-trained guards, and the catapults were minutes away from being ready to fire at any time. There were hordes of hungry beasts in the dungeons below, and lots of weapons, and men to use them, above. Overall, the defenses were unnecessary, after the activity of the League had started, but the noxians weren't going to dishonor decades of being a fighting nation for a few years of peace. No, war would eventually come, and Noxus would be prepared. "More than prepared!" Swain used to yell, when motivating the soldiers he was training. The massive fortress looked nothing like a family home. But it was, indeed, the home of the Du Couteau family. Although once a large family, the only ones remaining were the sisters Katarina and Cassiopeia, out of which only one was still human.

"Rattlesnake!" Katarina yelled, once she opened the door to the inner chambers. Receiving no answer, she assumed that it was safe to go in and pretend she had spent the last few nights in her own bed. She opened the black door, decorated with two knives forming an X over the peephole, that she had glued herself when she was 10 to scared off intruders, especially her sister. The room was simple: a grey desk with some papers on it, a small black bed, a closet, a drawer full of knives and fighting tools (also plenty of knife sharpeners). The wallpaper, once holding an intricate design, was torn from the many times she had aimed her knives at the wall. Her old toys were also mostly pieces, scattered on the floor and under the bed, as a reminder of what must happen to things that are useless. The mirror on the wall had been broken by an angry punch delivered to it the day she came back from the mission that got her the scar, and the shards were still on the floor. Katarina never even glanced at them, but refused to clean them up, just like she refused to do almost everything she was ever told to do. And with her father's disappearance, things got even better. There was nobody to order her around. The fortress lay at her feet.

"Home, sweet home."


	2. Chapter One - Distrust the enemy

Author's Note: First of all, thank you for reading my story. Second off, this is not KatarinaxVayne, it's Katarinax? and VaynexVladimir. If there is interest for that pair, I might write it in another story Enjoy~~~

**Chapter One – Distrust the enemy**

"Sssssssister?"

A sleepy Katarina jolted out of bed. "What is it, Cassie?" "Nothing...just passssssing by" the giant snake spinned around and licked her fingers. "Stop pretending you can't talk!" In an instant, a knife flew over Cassiopeia's shoulder and hit the wall, tearing the wallpaper even more. Cassiopeia didn't flinch and continued to lick her fingers while mumbling under her breath. "I said stop", Katarina snapped at her, climbing into bed again. Her sister glanced at her before turning her back, and sliding in the doorway. "Learn some mannersssss, Katy." she yelled over her shoulder while laughing. The redhead glared at the door. "_If I look enough, it will close by itself_" , she told herself, unwilling to actually go over and close it. Unfortunately for her, Cassiopeia returned, this time carrying a tray of food. "Food for the mistressssss" she teased, while setting the tray on Katarina's lap. "The mistress isn't hungry, sis." Cassiopeia started cutting some roasted potatoes with her claws and eating. "Well this mistresss sure is hungry" she managed to say with her mouth half-full. Katarina laughed. "You're just a pet snake" she said, petting her sister's head. Cassiopeia looked her sister dead in the eye. "I may be the snake, but you hold the venom." Katarina shrugged and started eating what was left of the potatoes, starting to feel the hunger after days of traveling.

"While you were out, I cut my tail with one of your knives, you know" Cassiopeia looked at her lower body with a neutral expression. "I don't really care, you know." "I threw it away" she responded, still staring at the tail. "Get out of my room, snake. And you will pay for this." "I already did." Cassiopeia slid out the room into the hall, leaving the door open. Katarina covered her head with a blanket and yelled for the maid. _"Do I have to do everything myself?" _She got out of bed and proceeded towards the door. As she touched the handle, she noticed that the place was too quiet. "MAID!" she yelled louder. A tiny woman, probably in her forties', ran to her and bowed. "Yes, madam." "Why didn't you come the first time, Annete?" "I wasn't sure I heard r-right, madam." The woman's voice started to shake as did her body. "Do you know what they do to slaves like you?" Katarina asked, rubbing the knife she carried by her belt , clearly enjoying the fear she inflicted. "Yes, m-madam." "Good." Katarina made a quick move and then entered her room. The woman left with blood spilling all over the floor, clenching her stomach. After turning round the corner, she encountered Cassiopeia. "I will clean it up later, mistress" she said, trying to bow. Cassiopeia looked at her with disgust and slid away.

Back in her room, Katarina lay on her bed looking at the ceiling. Tiny cracks that had been fixed by her father's workers were still barely visible. "_Cassie knows something. I can see it in her eyes. But why is she hiding it? Usually she would taunt me about it…_" She shifted in her bed, grabbing a knife from her belt and starting to examine the sharp blade. She frowned. _"If this means what I __**THINK**__ it means, I have to leave Noxus or be accused of betrayal and beheaded." _ …she paused for a moment. "_No. If this were to happen, it would have happened already. I have no reason to worry. Noxians are not known for their patience, especially Swain._" She shuddered even thinking about the general. His cruel and merciless personality had a popularity that had grown beyond the borders of the city-state. Apart from that, he was always calm, and nobody had seen him angry, or , at least, nobody had ever lived to tell the story of seeing him angry. "_No. Cassiopeia is smart, yes, but naïve. Somewhere in her heart, she still has hope for my father to return, for the Du Couteau family to be reunited_" Kat smirked. "_If there is one thing that I could bet my life on, that's my father never returning. The dead don't just raise from the grave._"

* * *

Shauna woke up at dusk, feeling a dull pain in her stomach, due to not eating for at least two days. She put on a light outfit : black tank top and black pants, and installed the small crossbow on her hand, for protection. The small stream near her house provided her with all the water she would ever need, and Shauna couldn't be more grateful to have found this spot to build the cabin. "_It's my own, personal, isolated heaven._" She thought, while putting her feet in the water. It was cold, but nothing that Shauna hadn't been used to. The nights were always chilly in Demacia, but she didn't mind. For her, the night was the perfect time to hunt. Unseen, unheard, a light dashing noise before a villain's body would fall to the floor. And with the newfound help of Katarina, everything was going smoothly. The assassin not only killed very efficiently, she had also proven herself to be an excellent information-gatherer, always coming to their midnight sessions with new names and places. How she managed to do that from Noxus, Vayne had no idea. She frowned. Their last hunt had been planned by the redhead, but is was unfruitful. They had climbed some trees and waited for a witch to come, but she never showed up. And as much as they enjoyed hunting together, Shauna knew never to trust Katarina. "_Not even if she saved my life. Who knows what motives she has._" She stepped out of the small river and went to the cabin to get some money. _"I'll have to eat in town tonight, it seems."_ While following the small path to the nearest town, memories of her first encounter with Katarina swarmed her mind.

* * *

_She had a feeling she was being followed. The faintest of footsteps on the snow were barely heard by her well-trained ear, but she didn't stop walking, not wanting to announce her knowledge to her follower._ "Hang on just a little bit more"_ She thought _"and the pain will end soon for you."_ She paced onwards in the dark street, her steps calculated and precise, tiny snowflakes landing on her black hair, with the moon above her head being the only guiding light. She approached the corner of the building. _"Now it's time!"_ Shauna turned around violently aiming a quick shot from her crossbow that would pierce right through her follower's heart. However, she only caught a glimpse of the figure as it disappeared into this air right before the silver bolt would hit it. Vayne's muscles tightened, realizing a sharp blade was held to her neck. A woman whispered in her ear "Nice shot, Night Hunter." She laughed maliciously. "But it wasn't good enough." A kick to her back sent Shauna flying to the snow-covered ground. The wind suddenly seemed colder. "I will assume you didn't want to kill me, so as a reward, I won't kill you." Vayne turned on her back in a quick move, firing another shot, that encountered only air in it's way. The other woman was behind her again. "I know you want to kill the thief Ragados. I made you a favor, he's already dead." She gave Shauna a hard kick in the head. "Do me a favor" Vayne could feel the blood from her forehead dripping down her face, and her sight was becoming blurry. She turned her head to see her attacker, a woman with crimson red hair dressed in black. "Stay out of my way." She commanded, before walking away._

_Back at home, Shauna couldn't get the other woman out of her head. Who was she? She looked familiar, but Vayne couldn't quite put her finger on it. _"Some Noxian, bitch, probably."_ Was her only option when thinking of the redhead's identity. Sitting in a not-so-comfortable chair she had bought from the market with a blanket over her back and a cup of strong tea in her hands, she contemplated her next move. _"I can no longer take risks. I have to deal with this issue now, kill her." _She took a sip of the comforting drink, and cringed at it's lack of sweetness. _"But what if she is someone important? I cannot take that risk, I have to do some research first."_ She frowned, while getting up to add some more sugar in her tea. After stirring it, she took another sip, this time relaxing back into the wooden chair. _"Maybe I'll never see her again, and I ought not worry."_ She smirked, her face barely lit by the oil lamp on her nightstand. _"But if I do, it won't end well for her."

_Vayne got to keep her promise about two months later. While searching for a evil wizard, she found out about a cult that resided in Noxus. _"This is my chance"_ she thought, while gathering her belongings for a long trip. The road to Noxus usually took three days to travel by foot, but Vayne traveled only by night, and only when no one was around, so she expected the trip to last at least a week, never mind the time spent there and the other week that would take to return. While packing her black cape, she noticed a little note within the folds. Alarmed, she looked around the house to search for any kind of intruders, but the only noise that greeted her was a faint ripple from the stream nearby. She unfolded the note. It was black and contained no information apart from a red rip-like drawing in the center. Vayne was angry. "_This will not go unpunished!_" She thought angrily before finishing to pack and leaving the cabin, returning only two weeks later, dead tired, but with a grin on her face._

* * *

"So what happened then?" a squeaky female voice asked. Shauna was brought back to reality. She was sitting in a bar in the town, staring blankly at the wall while her food was getting cold in front of her. She looked around, searching for the source of the noise. The bar was packed, mostly with drunkards, and the female that had spoken surely stood out from the crowd. Wearing a light pink dress and ornate white shoes, stuffing her mouth with potatoes, a blonde girl was talking (or rather squealing) loudly at a table nearby. Luxanna Crownguard was every average demacian girl's dream: beautiful, nice, intelligent, talented in magic, part of a leading family. But Shauna was everything but average, and the squealing that had interrupted her thoughts annoyed her. A dark skinned hand found its way to Shauna's shoulder. "Hello, Vayne." Not bothering to look up, Vayne said "Sit down, Shyvana." "You are most kind today" Shyvana half-mocked her. Even without her fighting clothes, Shyvana stood out remarkably well. Her dark grey skin, her fiery eyes made her an attraction everywhere she went. But tonight, the people in the overpacked bar were way too drunk to notice her, or just didn't care enough. "Why are you here? Why is Luxanna here?" Shauna inquired. "You really have to go out more, Vayne. It's the end of October celebration, dear." _"Dear." _The word echoed in Vayne's mind over and over. Shyvana was the closest she had to a friend, and she was almost sure it was the same for the half-dragon. Both shunned, both wanting revenge. But tonight, maybe just tonight, they would relax a little. "I had no idea" Vayne smiled and offered to buy Shyvana food. "No thanks, I only eat raw meat." "Really?" "No" Shyvana laughed. "But if you offered, I'd like some steak. Bloody steak." They both grinned and started talking about what had happened in the months they haven't met.

* * *

"I don't want to go!"

"You have to."

"But I don't want to."

"But you have to."

Talon was standing awkwardly at the table between Cassiopeia (with her body coiled around the chair) and an desperate-looking Katarina who had finished eating and was now arguing with her sister, despite knowing it was to no avail. "I'll go for half an hour." "Not enough." "31 minutes." "Katy, you have to go to the Noxian ball for the full duration. Do we have to go through this every year?" Cassiopeia rolled her eyes. Katarina knew that her sister would give anything to be human again, to wear a beautiful dress even if it was only for one day, but she wasn't like that. She was an assassin. _"But also a member of the Noxian elite" _ As she had to remind herself. "What if I go there, I show my face around a little bit, then come back here?" "Impossible." "What if I go there, show my face around for a little bit more, then come back here?" "Also impossssible." Cassiopeia was getting annoyed, and Talon was getting afraid of the catfight that would ensue. "Do they do this every year?" he quietly asked one of the maids. She nodded her head briefly before going back to standing near the table like a statue.

"Who invited him to have lunch with us, anyway?" Katarina pointed at Talon. "Don't bring me into this" He pleaded. Cassiopeia sneered. "I invited him, dear sissssster. I figured you would need a partner for the ball, so you won't get bored, like you do every year" She smiled. "Or, do you have someone else in mind?" _"Where is she going with this?" _Katarina wondered. "No, I don't. I will go with Talon." She said, knowing that if she would have to go no matter what, at least she could have someone to talk to. Moments of silence ensued. Cassiopeia was looking at her sister with wide eyes, as was Talon. "Really?" "Wait, I didn't sign up for this!" They both shouted. Katarina smirked and left the dining hall.

Back in her room, Katarina almost jumped with joy. It seems like Cassiopeia thought she was seeing someone in the time she wasn't at home. "_Just my luck. Thanks for the slutty sister, father_." She smiled. Her hunts with Vayne would continue, and her lust for blood will be fed even in times of peace. She started stripping, getting ready to take a shower, and was only wearing underwear when Talon barged in. Katarina threw a knife at him and he quickly caught it. "Get out!" she yelled. Talon was indifferent to her anger. "Calm down, I don't care about your body. I just wanted to tell you to find someone else for the ball. I only accepted this because Cassiopeia wanted to find out who you were seeing. I have other business to attend" He turned to leave."You got yourself into it, worm." Talon stopped in his tracks. "I order you to come to the ball with me." She smirked. _"If I get to be tortured, better make sure he does too." _The man turned to face her. As hilarious as the whole scene was to him, a woman in her underwear ordering HIM around, she was still the general's daughter. And he had made a promise. "Very well."

* * *

"And then I told the soldier: What did you say?" Shyvana and Vayne both bursted into laughter. It was getting close to midnight and the bar was as noisy as ever, so their table in the corner was mostly ignored. Most of the crowd was gathered around Luxanna who was telling stories to whomever would listen and laughing hysterically. The old men looked at the crowd from the corners, some of them asleep or at least half-asleep from the alcohol.

The two women had talked about everything in their lives, from past events, to their current lives, with Shauna mentioning her hunting sessions, but carefully avoiding to tell Shyvana that Katarina participated, resulting in hilarious remarks about her awesome fighting potential. "And then I shot both of them down!"Shyvana burst into tears, spilling a little wine from her mouth. At this time, both were a little tipsy from the old wine, so everything was a laughable matter. "You know, Shauney" she said, after cleaning up her mess, "we should do this again." Vayne's mind immediately started racing, she had heard those words before….

* * *

_The trip to Noxus was tiring to say the least, and she had little supplies left. But it didn't matter. At that point, nothing mattered. She had transformed into a weapon, whose only purpose is revenge. She wasn't one to judge things based on angry thoughts, but she sure as hell wasn't going to be humiliated. _"Not by a noxian."_ So when the night came, Vayne was more than ready. With her small crossbow being her only visible weapon, not many would suspect her melee potential. A small knife was always attached to the inside of her cape, and rarely used. _"I will kill her with her own weapons."_ But when the time came, when Katarina came in the house Vayne was watching, carefully hidden, she couldn't bring herself to do it. The finesse of the murders, their execution, made Vayne respect Katarina. So when the fight was nearly over, with most of the thieves lying in a pool of their own blood, Shauna knew that she had to make a decision. "_I didn't come all this way for nothing._" She jumped from her hiding spot, took out her knife, slashed a piece of red hair, grabbed it with her left hand, shot a window with her right, and bolted out before the other women even realized something had happened. So when, a week later, the redhead showed up at Shauna next hunt wearing a frown on her face, tearing the man she was about to kill to small pieces in seconds, Vayne knew she had received the envelope containing her own hair. "You are good with the knife… for an archer." Instead of making a rude comment, Shauna asked "What's your name?" Instead of answering, Katarina simply said "We should do this again."_

* * *

"We should." Shyvana noticed the change in Vayne's expression as it became serious, and decided she didn't want to deal with possible post-drunk sadness, especially since the two weren't that close. "I'll go back to the Elite Guard tent. Will you be alright going home?" "I will." Shyvana left, feeling guilty about leaving Vayne alone at such a time. In truth, Vayne was eager to get rid of the for the night, so she could focus on her own thoughts. Being amongst a crowd was almost the same as being alone for her, it was a perfect time to think. But here, the noise was too loud and soon her head started to hurt. She finished what was left of the wine, paid, and left the bar. As the noise was getting softer and softer, her thoughts began to drift away…

The last conversation she had had with Katarina was strange, to say the least. Neither of them usually said more than what was necessary to do the job, but sometimes, during long waits, a few words would emerge, before silence would engulf them for hours. These strange conversations were usually started by Katarina, but the last time they talked, Vayne had been the icebreaker. The exchange of words was brief, and Shauna remembered them perfectly.

_"This is pointless."_

_"Everything is."_

_Vayne paused for a minute._

_"You are wrong, and you know it."_

_"Thrill of the hunt?" Katarina laughed. "What hunt? What is my lust for blood? What is your lust for vengeance? Nothing but two beasts rampaging for the comfort of satiating thirst and justice."_

_Vayne smiled. "We think alike, Katarina. We know what we are. But we don't stop. Because this is, who we are. We are the reason."_

Out of all their conversations, this was the strangest one. When they talked, questions were raised, but never answered, and Katarina always liked having the last word. Vayne wasn't the one to start a fight over empty words, so no arguments have been had so far. But in this conversation, Katarina actually agreed with her. So, despite hating her disgusting bloodthirst, comparable to those of the criminals they murdered, Vayne couldn't bring herself to hate her. "Because she is like me. Because SHE is like me…" This thought couldn't get out of her head.

* * *

Entering Cassiopeia's room was marvelous to anyone who wasn't royalty. Red velvet with intricate gold patterns sewed on it covered the walls. Her desk was covered in her body jewelry, and the massive closet still held all of her stunning old dresses, adorned with rubies, diamonds, and every other gem possible. The mirror was made from massive gold, with small emeralds embedded in it, lining the outer edges. The bed was majestic to say the least. The silk black sheets were spotless, and the sheer curtains had a faint blue glow, seemingly otherworldly. The only thing amiss in the room was the giant green snake that looked very out of place standing on the bed, tail hanging on the floor, and was presumably aware of it, since the look on her face was one of sadness. "Who could ever understand?" She said, staring blankly at the door. "Who could ever understand, _me_?"


	3. Chapter Two - A Celebration

Chapter Two – A Celebration

The scent of herbs flooded Vayne's senses. "Mmm….ginger…and that must be cinnamon…" her thoughts trailed off to a field of flowers in the spring, the rays of sunlight caressing her skin…"Wait, where's that smell coming from?" She bolted up in the bed. Shyvana was there, wearing only a light green dress and sandals, humming softly while boiling some tea. "Oh you're awake! I came by to see how you were doing and to bring you some tea, but since you were sleeping I let myself in." Vayne looked at her dumbfolded. "…I thought the location of this cabin was secret." She was feeling extremely embarrassed at this point, having thought for so long that her whole existence was secret only to find that she was mistaken. Shyvana frowned and almost yelled : "Secret?! Damn right it was a secret. I asked 20 villagers to tell me your whereabouts and all I got was "the forest". Then I searched the forest by foot for about 2 hours, finding only a couple of mushrooms and these herbs in a clearing. And then…" Shyvana's cheeks were turning dark red, the only color her skin was capable of "I got really angry and frustrated, so I transformed and flew over the forest for another half an hour until I found your cabin." She finished her sentence and Shauna started laughing loudly and tilting her head back only to find a dull ache hitting her. "Ow…" Shyvana smiled sheepishly. "Yea, that's what the tea is for." She swirled around, the dress beautifully complimenting her dark skin. "It's ready now." She poured the tea in two cups and started searching for the sugar. "You're a real housedragon. Can I keep you as a pet?" Shyvana laughed. "I don't think your wooden cabin can handle my sneezing." She handed the other women a cup and sat down in the uncomfortable chair. They sat in silence for awhile, waiting for the tea to cool down.

"_I wonder where she lives when she's not with the Elite Guard. Does she have a house for herself?_" Vayne let her thoughts wonder to a dragon's nest on a mountain and smiled. Shyvana noticed her smile. "At least someone has something to be happy about…" "Huh?" "This chair. It sucks." She said blankly. "I know…" "Then why don't you get another one?" "I didn't build this place for comfort, Shy. I needed a house. Where do you live, anyway?" "In the city of Demacia." "Do you own a house?" Shyvana laughed wholeheartedly. "No, I sleep on the streets." "Really?" "Silly human. Of course I do." Vayne frowned at being called a human. She considered herself so much more. She looked at her tea. It would be a little while longer until it would be drinkable. And now that she thought about it…."Shy?" "Yes dear…" Her voice, almost sultry, was in perfect harmony with her curvy figure and delicate moves. Shauna was almost jealous. "_How can a beastlike creature even move like that?"_ She shaked off that thought. "Why do you wait for it to cool down? You breath flames, after all." _"To be more human…" _Shyvana wanted to answer. But instead, she looked at Vayne with a beautiful smile and said "I am in my human form, after all. I have some weaknesses." "Ah." An awkward silence ensued. Shyvana broke it. "You know what would be fun?" she squaled. "OW! Keep it down! My head still hurts…" Shyvana grinned. "Sorry! Tonight is the last day of the celebration. We should go. See some street bands play, maybe the Fighter's Arena Games…" "The what?" "Every year, there is a competition and all sorts of warriors take part and duel. The last man standing gets a big prize." Vayne thought for a moment. _"I was supposed to go out with Katarina tonight…" _She shook that thought off. _"Maybe it's time to end these meetings. They are dangerous for me. She is dangerous."_ Her thoughts trailed off. _"But maybe she's not dangerous at all…" _"Shauney? What are you thinking about?" Shyvana asked curiously. "Eh? Nothing." Vayne stared at the carpet…_"What should I do…"_ "So, what's it gonna be?" Vayne hesitated a moment, then smiled at Shyvana. "We are going."

* * *

"Thissss one."

"No."

"Then thissssss one."

"No."

Talon stood awkwardly, back glued to the wall, clad in a stylish dark grey suit, watching and wondering how the two sisters could live like this. "This is hell…"He whispered. "You haven't seen anything yet." A maid whispered back. The three were in the dining room where they had had lunch the day before, only this time they were surrounded by about five maids which carried around dresses to and from the table, for the two sisters. Katarina was seated and looked bored at the wide array of beautiful, ornate dresses while dismissing each one of them. Cassiopeia was getting excited over each dress.

"Oh, thisss one, sister! Thissssss one!" She presented Katarina a red strapless dress with a wide black belt adorned with a golden flower decorated with rubies.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because it's red."

"You are right, matching the hair and the dress is terrible. "

The maids hurriedly brought her another pile of beautiful, expensive dresses. Cassiopeia searched through them. She picked up a blue mermaid style dress, with three black jewels on each strap.

"This is so pretty!"

"No, Cass, it is not." Katarina hated every single dress. She was starting to think that maybe her sister finding out about her and Vayne wasn't such a bad idea after all…Ball versus death? _"Bored to death or killed. Same thing…" _Her eyes widened. _"I was supposed to go hunting with Vayne tonight…"_ She relaxed in her chair. _"What do I care, anyway? Demacian bitch will probably get herself killed this way." _She tried to feel happiness thinking about Vayne's death, but could only feel guilt for not going to their meeting, and a tinge of sadness. Her thoughts were soon interrupted.

"OHHHHHHHHH yesssssssss….." Cassiopeia yelled.

"Crazy giant snake woman, would you shut up?"

"But Katy, look at this one!" She twirled her tail around, eyes wide open.

Katarina looked at the dress. It was a simple strapless black dress with a bow on below the bust. _"Simple, yet elegant." _Katarina thought.

"…ok."

"Finally…"Talon whispered.

"What did you say?" Both sisters asked at the same time.

"Nothing. I hate you both." He grumbled grudgingly.

"Oh, I'm so sad…" Katarina laughed.

"I'm almost crying, Katy, hold me, dearie." Cassiopeia raised her arms in desperation.

Talon left the room rolling his eyes. Katarina looked at her sister seriously. "He is bound to father." "What did you say?" Cassiopeia said, still awed about the dress. "Snake. Be serious for a moment." "You think he will betray?" she said, looking towards the doorframe Talon had passed through just moments ago. "He can't. Too stupid." Katarina frowned at her sister's words. "He's pretending to be stupid. He's just a quiet guy who swore an oath to a dead guy. He has no duty towards us." "Don't call father that, Kat." Cassiopeia snapped, making her position on her father's disappearance clear. "Point is, Talon is a weakling. But he knows things. He might even know, things we don't." "So seduce him." "WHAT?" Katarina looked at her sister with wide eyes. "What's the big deal?" Cassiopeia said, rolling her eyes. "I used to do it as a job." "I would rather torture him." "I know sissster" Cassiopeia began sliding towards the door. She turned around and said "But some things, have to be done. Tonight is a good night for that." "I don't plan to sleep with anyone tonight, just so you know." Cassiopeia smiled. "Good. So that's your limit." The redhead frowned. "What does that mean?" "That you accept everything else."

* * *

Shauna felt something squishy under her foot. She quickly retracted it and saw something white underneath. "Shy! I think I found some." Shyvana looked at her curiously. "But I kinda squished them." Vayne explained, embarrassed. Shyvana picked the mushrooms up and assessed the damage. "They look fine. Yup. We can use them. Keep looking!" She said, wondering off in another direction. The two were in the forest, picking up mushrooms for a light supper that would leave room for the goodies at the celebration. _"Can't wait to eat caramelized apples…" _Vayne's stomach growled.

Back in the cabin, an hour later, the pot was boiling under Shyvana's watchful (and fiery-looking) eye. "With the way you're looking at it, I'm surprised you even need fire to heat it" Shyvana looked at her sheepishly. "I guess I'm attracted by fire." Vayne pondered the words for a moment. "Can you show me how you breath fire?" "What?" Shyvana looked at her like she had grown a head. "I'm just…curious." Shauna tried to defend herself, while finding an excuse not to look at the half-dragon. She soon found it in letting her hair loose and started to search frantically through a drawer for a comb. An awkward silence ensued. Finally Shyvana felt obliged to explain herself. "I don't like being treated any different than humans." "Oh." was all Vayne could say. She understood the feeling of being different and had a sudden surge of empathy towards her companion. Shyvana started fiddling with a spoon. "…I'll do it." "Huh?" "Breath fire." Shyvana smiled. "I'll do it, if you really want to see it." "No, I don't." "Oh." Shauna stood up. "I fight beasts for a living. Some of them are humanoids. Some of them aren't. You are neither. You are human." She stepped outside the cabin through the open door and lied down on the rough grass, the last rays of sunlight tickling her body.

* * *

"Yesss….."

Pause.

"Aww yesss…."

Talon was exasperated. He had had enough. It was all too much.

"And a little more here…"

"_No, no more!"_ Talon cringed.

"And there, yessss…"

Two and a half hours ago, Cassiopeia assured him Katarina and herself were ready, and that he should put on his suit because they would be leaving for the ball soon. "Only makeup is left." She had said. "Only makeup." He whispered, face hot and palms sweaty. "Only makeup…"He trailed off, a little louder.

"Something to drink, master?" A maid offered. "No, thank you." He uttered, as polite as he could be under the circumstances. He had been standing outside Katarina's room for two and a half hours and the suit was way too hot for the comfortable temperature inside the fortress. About an hour ago, he decided to forget the formal way of waiting and sat down, back propped against the wall. "Why. Why? WHY?" The last part was almost yelled and the maid in front of him jumped back a little. "Sorry." He offered her a heartwarming smile. The maid blushed. "Master." She bowed, leaving. His eyes followed her until she turned around the corner of the hallway. Suddenly the door next to him opened. Cassiopeia slid out, body adorned with jewels and golden chains. Talon was awestruck. All of her green disgusting snake body was shining. She noticed him staring at her, and started smiling, pleased with herself: "I know I'm sexy…and wait until you see Katy!" _"About as sexy as a big ball of slime with a head."_ He mumbled inaudibly.

Katarina walked out of the room wearing the black dress, high heels, and her hair was pulled back in a ruffled-looking bun. "_THIS is sexy." _Talon thought, before realizing this was, in fact, Katarina. _"Well, too bad." _ His thoughts were interrupted by yet another fight between the two sisters.

"We are going with the carriage!" The younger sister yelled.

"YOU are going with the carriage. I'm not." Katarina yelled back.

"Good luck walking to the dining hall with those heels." Cassiopeia snickered.

"Fine." Katarina and Cassiopeia started to head towards the exit of the fortress. Talon was in awe. _"First they make me wait until I start rotting and then they don't even notice me? What's wrong with these women?"_ Nevertheless, he followed suit. Outside the massive door, two carriages awaited.

"You and Kat go there." Cassiopeia instructed. Katarina stepped into the carriage and looked around for Talon. "You look…" she trailed off "Alright." Talon didn't give her a second glance and followed her inside.

Katarina waited until they were both seated the turned her head to look out the window. "We don't trust you." She said, simply.

"I know that."

"Do you now?"

"You think I will betray, with the general gone."

"That's the short way of saying it, yes."

"Well, I don't have time for games." He said with a frown. "What does Cass want to see?"

"She actually wants me to seduce you and make you our dog."

"How could she ever think that would work?" He laughed a little at the thought.

''No idea. Point is, I want you to work with me. For me. Trust me. It's the only way. I have no idea what Cass is planning, no idea on whose side she is." Katarina was uneasy about having to reveal her thoughts to the man beside her.

"You want us to work together against her?" Talon said, thinking about the general. He would never accept such a thing, the family split, the sisters fighting each other.

"Until we find out what's going on, yes." Katarina turned her head to look at him.

"But I don't trust you."

"Neither do I. But for now, this will have to do."

"I see…" He trailed off. "How do I know you're not on Cassiopeia side anyway?"

"I'm on the winning side. Join me."

"I'm on your father's side. And you are his favourite daughter. I accept the deal, with only one condition."

"And that is…?" Katarina was intrigued. What could Talon possibly want from her? He had money, and power in Noxus already.

"We cannot harm Cassiopeia in any way."

"Still a servant dog. Very well."

* * *

"We look so…girly!" Shauna exclaimed. Shyvana gave a warm smile. "I have recently started to wear dresses again. It feel interesting." "What do you mean by "again"?" "I have worn dresses when I was little too, you know." Vayne spinned around. Her dress was a light shade of blue, with short sleeves, going down to the knee. She had owned it for awhile, but this was the first time she actually put it on. The half-dragon wore a purple short dress with long sleeves that was hugging her figure in all the right places. "A-are you sure about this?" Vayne asked just before they left. "Trust me, it's gonna be a blast!" Shy exclaimed, but Vayne doubted it.

As they were walking towards the festival, the brunette's mind drifted away to her nightly hunts. Her contractor, Malor, a high ranking member of the Elite Guard, who dealt with protecting Demacia from the inside threats. He would usually give her missions, through letters delivered by emissaries and soldiers, and she would take them on along with her newfound companion, Katarina. Recently, though, she and the redhead had started hunts of their own, with Katarina always bringing in wanted criminals. _"How does she even know them?"_ Vayne shook off that thought, not wanting to think about her anymore. She forced herself to think about Malor again. While she had never actually seen his face, sometimes she imagined him being an old man with grey hair, sitting in a chair, trying to make his letters seem interesting by adding long, complicated words, found in a dictionary sitting by his side at all times, in order for him to enhance his vocabulary even further. She let out a snort, forgetting Shyvana was there. "What's so funny?" the half-dragon asked. "Oh, nothing. I was just thinking about my chief." "What's his name?" Vayne got a little nervous. "I can't tell, really. I'm sorry." Shyvana smiled. "I understand, I work in the military too." "Yeah…" Vayne trailed off, thoughts drifting away again.

* * *

"And this lovely woman would be Katarina, my sister." Cassiopeia smiled at the foreign diplomat. "Nice to meet you, Miss Du Couteau." He smiled at the redhead. "The pleasure is mine." Katarina smiled politely. After a few minutes of chatting with him about Noxus and it's fine array of weaponry, the sisters along with Talon retreated in a private resting room. "Idiotic fools pretending to be polite and interested." Katarina exclaimed while punching a chair. She had been forced to be nice to people for over two hours and was starting to get really angry. "At least you act decently in public." Cassiopeia sneered. Katarina gritted her teeth. "Do me a favor, just behave for the night. OK?" Her sister said, sliding away through the doorway.

Katarina looked at the wall for a minute while Talon stood awkwardly behind her trying to be as quiet as possible.

"Stop doing that." Katarina snapped.

"What?"

"…Standing there. Being annoying."

"Oh I'm sorry mistress. How could I have done that?" Talon replied, while deciding not to put up with their stupidities anymore.

"Shut up dog! Ugh!" Kat turned around and produced a knife which she threw so fast Talon wouldn't have had time to dodge it. Luckily it was aimed to pass right by his head.

"I'm fucking sick of you. You and your stupid sister arguing, getting mad everyday and yelling like two fools. You may be my boss, but I'm outta here."

Katarina stood there frozen for awhile. Talking to people, being nice and polite really took a toll on her. Social skills weren't her best asset so she tried to socialize as little as possible. Talking, pretending to care, made her angry and nervous at the same time. She thought she looked stupid, uneducated, but would never admit it in front of anyone.

"Dammit!" She yelled, kicking the air.

"Is someone in there?" A male voice said, while the door to her room cracked open. Katarina turned around. She knew the man now standing in the doorway, blocking the view; she had recognized him the minute she had heard his voice... With his hair neatly combed, dressed in a black suit which looked very good on him, the commander of the Noxian army, general Darius was nothing short of handsome. His figure, usually angry or indifferent, seemed friendly today, as he was clearly enjoying himself at the party. "Katarina, dear, haven't seen you in centuries." He moved forward and took her small hand, kissing the back of it. Katarina blushed, suddenly very embarrassed by how disheveled she must have looked after her fit. And Darius… He had always been so gentle with her, even in her darkest times. They actually used to be best of friends as kids and teenagers. But adulthood took a toll on both of them, and with Darius always on the field, they rarely saw each other anymore. Still, she felt she could be more like herself around him. "Stop it Dar!" She said playfully. His expression turned serious. "I have missed you." He said, awaiting an answer. After a few moments, the redhead looked him in the eye and said "So have I."

* * *

"This place is so big!" Vayne exclaimed, looking over to the arena in which the fights were to take place. Hundreds of people had come to see the legendary Fighter's Arena Games. "I know, it will be hard to find a place to sit, unfortunately for us…"Shyvana answered, while looking around to see if there were anymore free seats available. "Look, over there!" The brunette pointed to her left. Shyvana began running in order to secure them quickly. Vayne started to walk behind her, only to be stopped by a hand on her shoulder. "Agent Vayne. I have a letter for you."


	4. Chapter Three - Sneaking In

**Chapter Three – Sneaking In**

"Wake up!" A harsh whisper scraped Shauna's ears, but the bed was too comfortable…"I said wake up!" Katarina whispered a little louder, yanking Vayne's pillow from under her head. "What's going on?" She groggily asked. "Not so loud! Under the bed, now!" She shoved the brunette right in time, as two seconds after, the door opened.

"Talking alone, sis?" Cassiopeia smirked, one hand behind her back.

"Yes. We just talked earlier at breakfast, what could you possibly want?" Katarina sat on the bed, while Vayne was trying to take the most silent breaths underneath it.

"Well, it so happens that I received a letter not one minute ago…"the snake continued, revealing her right hand that held a rolled scroll.

"What does that have to do with me?"

"It confirms. The noble killed was General Darius' father."

"…So? It's not like he was in the military anyway. Just a petty merchant with some illegal money." Katarina glared at her sister, trying to hide her nervousness with anger. She hated civilians anyway so it wasn't that hard.

"The killer, Katarina!" Cassiopeia continued, louder. "is the Demacian vigilante known as the Night Hunter." The redhead's eyes widened. "So you know her!" Under the bed, Vayne's heart was beating fast. Did everyone in Noxus know their secret? Cassiopeia smiled. "I figured as much." "I don't-" "Hold your breath. I know you're not that stupid as to actually care for her." Katarina put on her best fake glare. "At least you know something about me. Very well, smartie." She jumped up and looked straight at her sister. "I've been using her to get info on Demacia for a while. Noxus doesn't approve of anything not including violence, but I knew the sneaky approach was right here. Thanks to her, I got info on some notorious Demacian villans." "All dead by now. I already checked." Cassiopeia said, not thoroughly convinced Katarina was on her side. "I had to. I needed to get her trust." Vayne was barely registering the conversation by this point, as her sleepiness made her confused about the whole ordeal. Instead, she focused her effort on breathing as softly as possible. "Very well, dearie. How's it going, with Talon?" "It's alright." Cassiopeia put on a wide smile. "Just 'alright', eh? Been busy with Darius last night, were you?" she teased. Katarina blushed and stuttered "H-How do you know?" Cassiopeia laughed and left the room, after leaving the letter on the bed for her sister to read.

Instead, Katarina sat on the bed, one leg over the other. "Ask." "What?" Vayne crawled from under the bed and started to dust herself off. "I know you want to ask." "I don't care about your affairs." Katarina smiled while staring the door. "At least you have one good thing about you." She said, licking her lips. Vayne sat on the opposite side of her. "Look, I have a military meeting so stay here until I return, then we'll talk. How's your leg?" The redhead said, while putting on her boots. She had stolen some linen and a piece of wood from the nursery and had used her poor first aid skills to produce a makeshift bandage that would hold Vayne's leg in place. "It's good. But wait, what am I supposed to do here alone?" "There are some books about Noxus somewhere…" Katarina said, as she left the room, leaving Vayne with a blank look on her face.

"Great."

The last thing she wanted to do was read about Noxus. She had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach and was barely able to sleep. _"This is the worst thing that could have happened, really…" _She pulled her knees to her chest, while staring at a shard of the broken mirror. _"I wonder why the maids don't clean this up." _She thought, as her hand caressed the sheets. They were so soft, so silky, so different from what she was used. The whole place was like a luxury fortress. She suddenly wondered how Katarina was able to live here. "I would have never imagined her as the luxurious type…" Vayne muttered, while further inspecting the room. It reminded her of a room in the Demacian Imperial Hall the had once visited, except for the fact that the dominant color in all Demacian Royalty was yellow. She tried to shake off that memory. "_I'm probably dead to them now anyway…"_

_About 16 hours earlier_

Vayne had abandoned the celebration, absentmindedly following the message carrier into a cave in the woods. She felt terrible for leaving Shyvana alone, but she swore an oath to Demacia in the name of her dead parents and couldn't abandon her cause. _"I'll explain to her after, I'm sure she'll understand. After all, friends to that…right?"_

"Mistress Vayne. The mage is ready."

She approached the back of the cave with caution. She didn't trust magic in the least but it had to be done. The mage was a middle aged man with a few gray hairs, looking tired, accentuated by the blue light that shone from the portal that he had made. Shauna stepped forward, taking her time.

"We have no time, mistress." The carrier said. "The mage is getting weary."

"Can't he speak for himself?" Vayne snapped. A mage was shady enough, but now a mute mage?

"He is concentrated to maintaining the portal intact."

"How does this even work?"

"I am not a man of magic, I do not know. But you have to step forward, and make haste!"

Vayne walked into the portal. She heard some steps behind her and tried to turn herself around, preparing her crossbow, but the magic kicked in and she was already in a dark alley of the city of Noxus. She inhaled sharply. "Let the hunt begin." She uttered, starting to climb the nearest building to get an idea of where she was. She possessed a map of Noxus, but she had forgotten it in the cabin when she went to change into her skirmish clothes. Regardless, she was confident that she knew the city fairly well, and that she could handle herself after seeing some building tops. Soon enough, she got an idea of where she was located. On her left, there were many houses crammed together, looking as if they were about to collapse. To her right, there were two tall buildings that had obviously been abandoned, and a fancy gate behind them. A light was on in front of a bar which was called "Mudbag Ale", from what Vayne could remember, and a man was outside on his knees, throwing up, while two others were laughing at him and mocking him. The music and the noise coming from the bar made Vayne feel disgusted. _"The Lathal'ar District. The scum of all Noxus." _She inhaled sharply, swallowing the lump in her throat. "Better get going."

After pacing through Noxus for what seemed like an hour, she managed to localize the place she needed to be at. She remembered a fragment from the letter she had received while at the celebration: "…escape of the witch needs not to be taken lightly. Luckily, we have new intelligence of her whereabouts. It seems that she spends her days in a noble's mansion in Noxus. The building you must look for…" Shauna looked at the building again, studying its details. She was already in enemy territory, there was no room for mistakes. "The night of the murder", the letter continued, "must coincide with the night of the Annual Noxian Ball. Most of the guards will be busy in another side of the city. Waste no time…" Shauna half-smiled. _"Damn sure I won't waste any time"._ Just as she turned her head, a movement on the corner of her eye caught her attention. The gates were slowly opening. Shauna readied her large crossbow on the rooftop and squinted her eyes. _"Any moment now…" _Sure enough, in a few minutes, a luxurious black carriage emerged through the gates, with a black figure fully covered with a cape in the backseat. Vayne waited for the right angle and fired her crossbow.

She heard a man's scream and quickly realized she had failed her execution. "_How can this be..?"._ But she didn't have time to think it over, as a spell hit her in the back and she stumbled forward towards the edge of the building, dropping her heavy crossbow in the process. "Trying to kill me, are we?" A raspy female voice said. Vayne's instincts kicked in and she instantly tumbled to the side, trying to aim a shot. But as it was about to hit, the female disappeared into the shadows. Vayne stood completely still, stopping her breath and trying to listen to any sound at all. A few seconds and… there it was. The faint sound of an incantation coming from her left. She fired as fast as she could and heard a light scream. _"Spot on." _She thought, and jumped down from the building trying to flee the scene, as she knew she was no match for an invisible witch. She heard a small crack and felt a surge of pain in her left leg. She could hear a troubled man's voice screaming "Guards, servant, get the guards!" as she left.

Katarina sat on the green velvet couch, with a half-full wine of glass in her hand, looking as elegant as ever in the black dress. Across from her sat the noxian general, who had poured himself whiskey in a glass which lay forgotten on the coffee table between them, smiling at her in a friendly way. Katarina licked her lips. They had just finished a conversation about long-forgotten memories and were sitting in a comfortable silence.

"I came to the ball to see you, actually." Darius said, looking straight at his companion, searching for a reaction.

"Nonsense, you came because you had to!" The redhead blushed a bit and looked away.

"Yes, indeed…"Darius relaxed back into his armchair. "I _had to_ see you." Katarina felt her cheeks becoming hot. The general noticed and laughed a little.

"Always so easy to get you embarrassed."

Katarina had no time to react, as the second Darius finished his sentence, the door slammed open and Talon barged in, looking worried.

"A noble of the High Order has been killed." He blurted out.

Darius' expression changed to a concerned one. "Who is it?"

"I don't know. It's probably an assassination." He said, as Darius launched himself through the door. Katarina followed, giving Talon a confused look.

The commotion in the streets scared her to no end. Men and women yelling, guards trying to keep everybody calm, and the stern voice of some sort of a general piercing the air like a pike while yelling orders and cursing._ "They find me, and it's over for good."_ Vayne couldn't be more terrified, hiding in the closed space between a closet and the wall in an abandoned house's basement. There had been times when she was close to death, but committing a murder in a city that Demacia was struggling to maintain peace with was too much. Betraying her state, losing everything she had worked so hard to obtain…the thought was overwhelming and she began to notice little droplets dripping from her chin. She had no idea if they were sweat or tears, but a spark was ignited inside of her. She would not die like this. She couldn't. _"This is not the end…" _she repeated over and over In her mind. _"This is not the end…"_

Flashbacks of her parents' death overwhelmed her with anger and frustration. They died as she watched and it was then when she promised herself that as long as she lived, all evil beings had something to be afraid of. Fear would plague innocents no longer. _"I will purge this world."_ had been her favorite quote to keep herself motivated when training. But now… Now she had failed them. She had lost the war. Evil had won.

…For the longest time, Vayne didn't move. It was as if she was paralysed, in a dream state, listening to the rustling of armors as guards marched around the street where she had killed the man, sitting on the cold floor. They had already searched the house and decided she was not there, but that thought brought her little relief. The numb pain in her leg had subsided a little, but she was sure it was broken. _"There are no options now…what is there to do?" _ Desperation was the only emotion she could feel. She had guessed a long time ago that she had killed a noble. Even if she could return to Demacia, Noxus would ask for her head in exchange for the peace. "_There is nothing…" _tears formed in her eyes. _"There is nothing but pain and I always knew it… and I still wanted a change…how foolish. How foolish of me."_ Shauna began shivering as she started to realize how cold it was in the basement. She made no move to wipe her cold tears. _"Is this the end…is it not? If not, what is it?"_

Vayne heard footsteps on the floor above her. _"But no armor…" _They were interrupted by the sound of heavy objects being moved. Somebody was searching for something in the house above her. Vayne tensed. If it was only one person, she could take them on even with a broken leg. But was another murder worth it?

She heard the person come down to the basement.

"I'm not going to search this filthy place. If you are here, give me a sign." A raspy female voice said. Vayne couldn't believe what she was hearing… a conflict began to arise in the chest. Should she trust her? She waited a few seconds, and she heard footsteps again. The woman was climbing the stairs back up. And in a moment, Vayne had her decision.

"Wait, Katarina." She almost yelled, surprised to hear her own voice.

"Vayne! Where are you? I can't see anything…"

Vayne struggled to move the closet. It was heavier than she remembered. She limped her way through the darkness to where she though Katarina stood. Two strong arms caught her right as she was about to collapse.

"I got you."

Those words hit Vayne hard, and she started sobbing uncontrollably. She felt as if she was crying for the first time in her life.

"What am I gonna do? What am I gonna do?" she repeated through the tears and hiccups.

"Are you injured?" Katarina asked while inspecting Shauna the best she could with only her hands.

"I…I think my leg broke." Vayne managed to say while wiping her face with her sleeve.

Katarina, still in her ball attire, gently sat herself and Vayne down on the cold stone. She was still warm from running around trying to find Vayne and was doing her best to circle her companion's fragile frame with her arms, warming her up too. She knew there was no way she would get cold, with the fire that had ignited inside her when she heard Shauna's sobs.

The brunette, on the other hand, was as confused as ever. Nothing made sense to her anymore, but she kept crying for a while, feeling a sweet release take over her while Katarina hugged her and occasionally rubbed her hands on her clothed shoulders while she shivered. The tears eventually stopped and they sat in a comfortable silence.

"So…" Vayne whispered. "What happens now?"

"Nothing happens." Katarina said, as gently as she could. "Nothing happens" she continued, a little louder. "Everything will be fine. I will see to it." She tried her best to sound reassuring, but her voice was too soft to give that impression.

"They will kill me now, won't they?" Vayne asked, as she rocked back and forth.

"They won't, they won't. I will protect you." Katarina surprised herself by saying that, and the surprise grew even bigger when she realized she meant every word. But Vayne did nothing to acknowledge that she had heard anything. Instead, she continued her ramble.

"What will I do? Where will I go?" she asked, not really expecting an answer, but someone to wake her up and tell her that everything was a dream, that her parents were alive and were expecting her to come visit soon.

Katarina had thought about it while they were sitting silently and decided it was the time to go to the "safehouse" she had chosen.

"We're going to my fortress." She said, simply.

"What?" Vayne jolted to her feet, cringing as she felt the pain in her leg again.

"It's the only place they won't look for you." The redhead explained.

Shauna suddenly realized where she was, and what was happening.

"How will we sneak in? I assume there are many guards."

"I don't think there are so many tonight. That is, if we go now." Katarina felt like herself again, and began to feel comfortable in her own skin and uncomfortable in her dress and heels.

"Then we shall." Vayne said, too tired to think of other options and assuming Katarina knew what she was doing. She held Katarina's hand climbing the stairs and then they left the house, Vayne struggling to keep her balance while her companion's arm was around her shoulders trying to help her move as quickly as she could in her condition. Little did they know a pair of eyes watched them from a nearby rooftop, widening as they realized who were the two women.

Present day

"I brought you some food."

"Good. I was starving here." Vayne offered a little smile while Katarina put the two plates she had brought on the bed. Vayne started eating as the redhead watched.

"Look." Vayne shifted her eyes towards her. "I can't keep you here. It's too dangerous. I want you out of here as soon as possible." Katarina said, coldly.

Vayne felt a slight twinge of sadness, but nodded her head in approval.

"How did they know it was me?"

Katarina started laughing hysterically. "HOW did they know? Are you that stupid?" Vayne glared at her.

"No really, are you, Shauney?"

"Don't call me that!" Vayne almost spat on her. _"Only Shyvana calls me that."_ She almost added.

"You left your fucking crossbow there."

"Oh." Vayne looked at the floor. "It was a mistake" she added.

"I don't care about your stupid mistakes. This arrangement cannot last. You killed General Darius' father, do you even understand the gravity of your actions?"

"I understand fully. I shall leave." Vayne said, getting up.

"Where do you think you're going, stupid girl?" Katarina said, pulling Vayne back down.

"There are at least 50 servants in this fortress and many more guards. I got you here, I have to get you out, somehow."

They sat on the bed while Vayne finished eating the most delicious sandwiches she had had in her life. Just as Katarina was opening her mouth to speak, the door bolted open and Talon walked in quickly, closing the door behind him.

"Hello Katarina. Vayne" he bowed, as the two women froze their actions and stared at him with wide eyes.

"Well, you didn't expect to see things going down in Noxus without me knowing, did you? I knew about your hunts all along." He announced, as Vayne was still holding a half-eaten sandwich in her hand, refusing to believe this was actually happening. Katarina snapped out of it first.

"This is one of the reasons you allied with me, is it not? I know how much you appreciate our little _Demacian _friend here. " She spat the word Demacian like she was talking about a bag of filthy trash.

"I do quite a bit." He said, taking a seat on the floor. "But I like to see you think so well of me as to notice it is not the _only _reason." Talon continued, licking his lips.

"Get to the point" Katarina said, while Vayne was swallowing the last bite.

"I never thought you would bring her here, though." He continued, not fazed by Katarina's commanding words. "Smart move" He contemplated.

"Dog, I have already lost my patience."

"I have a friend who owes me a…big favor. He could hide _her_ while we sort things out."

Katarina wasted no time to think about it, as she was dead scared by her sister and Darius finding out she was affiliated to Vayne for any reason other than spying.

"We need a distraction to move her."

"We don't have one." Talon announced. "Everybody will be on their toes with a Demacian killer in Noxus. We need to wait."

"We do not have the time!" Katarina almost yelled. Vayne felt bad for putting her in this position and also a little angry at being so weak and useless.

"We do. Act normal. Be a bitch to your sister and all that. In a week, my friend will be here. I have already arranged that. _She_ will leave with him." Talon said, seeming proud of himself.

"…and then everything will be alright." Katarina said, relieved. They sat in silence, each of them thinking about how this will affect them. Vayne bit her lip.

"Well then"Talon announced proudly. "Let us play catch the Demacian with Cassiopeia for a week."

Katarina looked at him, disgusted.

"You may leave now."


End file.
